1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photographic film transporting member for transporting a photographic film from one processing apparatus to another, and to a photographic film transporting apparatus and a photographic processing system using the photographic film transporting member.
2. Description of the Related Art
When development of photographic films such as negative films is effected, the following procedure is generally taken: A plurality of negative films are connected together and are formed into a roll of negative films, a leader is attached to a leading end of the roll which is paid out, and the leader is allowed to engage a pair of sprockets so as to transport the plurality of negative films. The negative films in the form of the roll, for which development processing has been completed by a developing apparatus, are manually transported by an operator to a printer which is separate from the developing apparatus, and the negative films are placed at a predetermined position on the printer so as to effect printing.
A photographic processing system capable of effecting the entire process from the development of the negative films until printing without requiring the handling by the operator, has been proposed in which a negative developing apparatus and a printer are arranged as one unit without using the aforementioned leader. This system is arranged such that the negative developing apparatus and the printer are fixed as one unit, and an outlet of the negative developing apparatus and an inlet of the printer are connected together by means of a rigid transport passage means. In this system, the films can be transported continuously from the negative developing apparatus to the printer.
However, if the apparatus for effecting development processing and the apparatus for effecting print processing are made into one unit, there are drawbacks in that since the entire machine becomes large, the system cannot be accommodated in a predetermined space, and a working space for maintenance becomes limited, resulting in poor operating efficiency.